


Fading Memories

by TheCreativeCasseroles



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Charter Death, Gen, Ghosts, Puppet AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:34:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24329641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCreativeCasseroles/pseuds/TheCreativeCasseroles
Summary: Luke Pryce was an actor on the hit children’s show, “A Hat In Time.” There, he played The Prince as a human, and The Snatcher as a puppeteer. He had a great relationship with the actress for the main character, and the crew said it was a running joke that Luke was her dad.Luke Pryce was an actor. Keyword: was.
Relationships: Hat Kid & Snatcher (A Hat in Time)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

Luke felt… disoriented. He couldn’t quite remember what had happened. Where he was… but he heard someone crying.

Rubbing his head, Luke searched for the source of the noise. It sounded… like it was coming from below? He looked down to see-

“Haley?” He rasped. That was odd. He didn’t remember keeping his voice modulator on. “What’s wrong?”

And why did she look so tiny?

Such a tiny face revealed itself from tiny hands. Her blue eyes were shot red with tears stinging them. Her face blotchy and snot ran from her nose.

Panic seized him. He quickly bent down as his hands went to wipe away her tears.

He didn’t notice how odd they were.

“Luke?” Her voice wobbled.

A shaky smile graced her. “The one and only! Who did you expect? The Prince?”

Her body froze at that. Why?

Suddenly, she jumped up, and grabbed a hold of his hand. “Come on! Luke we need to leave! Now!”

He let himself be dragged along, but confusion ate him alive. “Hey, hey, hey! Haley, what’s going on?”

“There’s no time! We need to-!”

And then Luke saw it. His face. His body. It was only a mirror, but he stopped the moment he saw it. It was… Snatcher? But that was impossible. Snatcher was a puppet. Not… not… _this_.

“Luke! _Luke_ please we need to _go._ ” Haley pleaded, pulling with all of her strength at his hand.

He did not move. He could not move. He was cold. He was… he _remembered._ He was _dead._ He… he was… killed? No. Yes. He was _killed_ by-by-by-

Vanessa. Vanessa locked him into the cellar. He only wanted to buy her flowers…

“Luke! _Please!_ ” A familiar voice shook him out of his memories.

Turning to the voice, Snatcher smiled at the sight of Hat Kid. She was crying still. **“Kiddo, I know you sad, but really, I can just make you a new hat if you really missed it that much.”**

Snatcher watched with worry as something broke within Hat Kid. Slowly, she fell to her knees as silent tears streamed down her face.

Smile now gone, Snatcher picked her up. **“Come on, let’s head back to your room. I’m sure we’ll get back home soon. My minions would love to play more games with you. And I can make more Death Wishes for you!”**

Hat Kid didn’t say a thing. She only held onto him tighter.


	2. Chapter 2

Haley… was at a complete loss. She didn’t know what to do. She just about tried everything. But Luke… Luke won’t… well, he won’t ‘wake up.’

He’s… it was like he was stuck. Buried maybe? Haley didn’t really know how to put it. She was only nine years old.

But it all started the day Lukas Pryce died. It was… it was an accident on set. No one expected it. Haley didn’t see it happen. They didn’t tell her what exactly happened. All she knew was that Luke was with his voice modular and the Snatcher puppet when he had died.

And that it happened right away. That he didn’t feel any pain.

As for Haley? Well… she didn’t take it well. She went to the funeral. She cried. She drew and drew and drew of all sorts of pictures of Luke. Almost as if she drew enough he would still be alive somehow. She didn’t really know.

Haley was only nine after all.

Not long after did things get… _weird_ at the studio. Just stuff like things going missing and reappearing at odd places at first. Then it was hearing stuff move. _Seeing_ them being moved.

It wasn’t until the Snatcher puppet began to actually do anything did it click for Haley.

The studio was haunted.

Luke was still with them.

And when the Snatcher puppet began to talk? Oh Haley was ecstatic. Because that meant she could talk to Luke! She had missed him so much!

And then Luke began to move the puppet more… and more… and more… and the puppet began to… grow… and grow… and _grow_.

It’s fabric changed. Started to feel something like fur. Its arms became more… solid if it were. Its eyes and mouth began to _glow_ and it no longer held the shape it had at the mouth for a hand to move it up and down.

And soon it was as if Snatcher was a real creature. One that Luke was no longer puppeteering, but possessing.

Then came the slip ups. It had happened before, back when Luke was alive. It happened sometimes. Accidentally calling your fellow actor by their character name. Haley has done it before too. But Luke began talking about things they never did before. And it would… take a while before he realized that they were talking to him.

Then one day… Luke just. Stole her away. She was confused, rightfully so. It wasn’t until he started talking about ‘getting back home’ did it really hit her.

Luke had forgotten he was Luke. Luke thought he was Snatcher.

And Snatcher thought she was Hat Kid. Who obviously lost her hat.

Obviously.

But there were times Luke was Luke again. And her latest attempt to get back to the theater had _failed_.

And she was back in her ‘room.’

 **”Listen, kiddo.”** Snatcher began as he curled around her. It was kind of funny. It was like he was a big fluffy snake. But with arms. **”I know this place isn’t the best, but until I can find a better run down house, this’ll have to do. I mean, just until we get back to Subcon. You know?”**

Haley curled into a ball. She… didn’t really feel like talking.

Arms wrapped around her. Haley let herself be held. It was rare for Snatcher to show physical affection. It reminded her of the hugs Luke would give her.

 **”You know… you don’t have to leave the planet. When you finish collecting the Time Pieces, I mean.”** Snatcher went on to say. **”I’m… sure the minions would like you to live over at the forest with us… and I would like that too.”**

Haley felt as her eyebrows knit together. Slowly, she looked up to see a tired look on Snatcher’s face.

“What do you mean?” She asked, voice soft.

She watched as Snatcher thought it over, looking for how to phrase whatever he wanted to say next. And then he said, **”Hat Kid, I want you to live with me in my forest. I… I want to be your father. This is something that I thought long and hard about, for quite some time now.”**

A blush of all things dusted his face. **”I know I wasn’t… the greatest when we first met. But to be fair you did come into my forest. And I don’t really like strangers. But… well, you grew on me kiddo. What do you say?”**

Haley didn’t know what to say. At some point tears began to well up again, as apparently she didn’t dry up from her cry from earlier, and they began to fall. She… she really, _really_ wanted to have Luke as a dad. He was. He was just so _cool_. So nice. So loving. Nothing like her birth dad.

She always wanted Luke to come up to her house and go ‘my daughter now’ and take her away where they would spend their days as father and daughter somewhere else. While they went on to act for Dead Birds Studios of course. But then Luke died, and that dream along with him.

But now…

Snatcher hugged onto her tighter as her sniffles transformed into sobs.

She wanted Luke to be her dad. Not Snatcher.


	3. Chapter 3

Blond hair. First thing Haley woke up to was blond hair. Immediately she jolted, but was quickly shushed.

It… it was Nessie. _Nessie was here_.

Before tears could well up in her eyes again, Nessie gestured for her to follow. The girl hesitated only for a brief moment before doing so.

Quietly the duo sneaked out of the house. And the moment they got out, Nessie picked her up. Even though Haley was nine, Nessie was strong enough to carry her.

Especially for a long period of time, as it turned out. Because it felt like ages until they got to Mike’s car.

“Oh thank god you found her.” Mike whispered, as if someone could be listening in.

“Yeah.” Nessie then went to buckle Haley in the back seat, right behind the shotgun spot. “Looked like I managed to get in when Luke was out.”

Haley watched as her fellow actress moved into the passenger seat, and how Mike’s face grew anxious.

Who wouldn’t be? Snatcher was out there. And he wouldn’t like how ‘Hat Kid’ disappeared on him.

“Okay…” Mike sighed. Almost carefully, he had his car start. Glancing through the rear view mirror, concern was clear as day in his sparkling blue eyes.

Haley always thought he had pretty eyes. They reminded her of stars when the light hit them right through his glasses.

“We’re going to head back to the studio.” He said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

She only nodded.

And then they started to drive.

The ride was quiet for a while. Until Haley asked the question that was burning within her. “How did you find me?”

She did not miss how the two glanced at each other.

“Well…” Mike trailed off.

“The studio actually went on a search for you. Different people got different areas around town. Mike and I got the forest.” Nessie continued for him. “We decided that it was best I went searching while he stayed in the car.”

She didn’t elaborate more on that.

The car grew silent again. It was as if they were afraid to speak. They didn’t even put the radio on.

Then they heard it. A dreadful, awful, horrible, _inhuman screech_ that rattled the whole forest. Even the _car_.

No doubt the town would be able to hear that.

Fear gripped them all, and Mike dared to drive faster.

Snatcher knew Haley was gone. He would be looking for her.

He would be hunting down any kidnappers.

They drove and they drove and they drove. The trees rattled in the wind. The moon shining down on them. The shadows were long, almost as if reaching for them. Ever so slowly did the forest began to recede as they got closer into town.

They were almost there.

Almost.

A giant serpentine black mass blocked their way as bright yellow light blinded their eyes. Crying out, Mike slammed on the brakes, causing the tires to screech as it was forced to stop.

 **”WHY HELLO THERE!”** Haley’s blood ran cold at the voice. **”YOU’RE AWFULLY FAR FROM HOME, HM?”**

Frozen to her seat, the little girl saw the large, _enraged_ form of Snatcher bend down to look through the windshield.

**”I HAVE TO SAY, I’M SURPRISED VANESSA! I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WOULD ROPE SOME POOR, STUPID SOUL INTO YOUR SCHEMES! IN FACT YOU USUALLY FREEZE THEM FIRST!”**

Terror shook her up. She couldn’t see Mike’s or Nessie’s faces. She could only see Snatcher’s furious smile.

**”NOW! I SUGGEST YOU GIVE ME BACK HAT KID OR I’LL DO WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE YEARS AGO!”**

This seemed to have broken any spell that was on Nessie. “Luke! Are you hearing yourself?! This is nonsense!”

And it was Snatcher’s turn to be in shock.

“Nessie-“ Mike tried to calm their friend, but she went on.

“Haley isn’t Hat Kid! I’m not Vanessa and you’re not Snatcher! Your name is Luke Pryce and we are actors _for a tv show!_ Luke, you need to stop!”

Quickly did the smile transform into a scowl. **”Listen here.”** He snarled, voice low and deadly. **”I would appreciate you** **_stop_ ** **it with all these LIES you’re so insistent on telling me. Now. Give me my kiddo. Or. PARISH!”**

A sharp cry was heard after that last word was shouted. Haley didn’t know who had done it, until she realized it was her.

“SEE!” Nessie started to shout. “YOU’RE SCARING HER! SHE’S NOT HAT KID!”

Fire erupted all around. The car grew hot.

 **“SHE IS! SHE IS AND YOU’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE WHAT LITTLE HAPPINESS I HAVE LEFT YOU WITCH!”** Snatcher screamed.

Haley never felt so powerless in her life. Snatcher… Snatcher was going to _kill_ Nessie and Mike. And she couldn’t do a thing. She wasn’t Hat Kid, there was no contract to-

Wait.

“Snatcher!” Her voice shrill as she yanked his attention to her. “Let’s make a contract!”

The flames died down.

It was hard to see, but she knew confusion when she saw it. **”What do you mean kiddo?”**

Haley ignored the looks of horror Mike and Nessie sent her way. Instead, she gulped and said, “I wanna make a contract. If I go back with you, you’ll have to leave Mike and Nessie alone. No killing, no hurting, no stealing souls. You can’t even make other people hurt them. You have to let them alone. Just-just stay with me. And I won’t leave.” Her voice wobbled at the very end of it.

Snatcher stared at her. Mike was about to say something, when Nessie grabbed a hold of his hand, silencing him.

 **”You don’t even have a pen or paper.”** Snatcher finally said. Of course he had to point that out. Of course.

“Then I’ll find some!” Quickly she turned to Mike and asked, “you have a pen and paper in here right?”

He jolted in his seat, clearly not expecting the turn of events. “I-I.”

He and Nessie shared a look. Shoulders sagging, Mike said with a defeated tone of voice, “I do.”

Sorrow filled him as he gestured to the compartment in front of Nessie. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. Her hands shook as she opened the compartment. There, she reached in, and out she came with a few pens and a notebook.

“Are any of these still working?” Nessie couldn’t help but ask.

Mike shrugged.

Regardless if they worked or not, Haley took them all. She quickly picked a random pen and tested it.

It was working.

Then and there she began her first contract.

Haley was mildly surprised that Snatcher was letting this all happen, but… small miracles she supposes.

After a good moment of writing, Haley was finished. She stared down at the contract, looking it over. She needed to make sure there would be no loopholes. Not on Snatcher’s end.

They needed to save Luke. Somehow.

Nodding in determination, Haley unbuckled her seat, and got out of the car.

No longer was it hot out in the woods. Yet it wasn’t freezing either. It was at a comfortable temperature.

It was silent. No animals to be heard.

She walked up to Snatcher. He stared at her. He bent down. She held the newly made contract.

“Here. Sign it.” She said.

He did not. Instead, the ghost looked it over as he plucked it from her grasp. Snatcher was gentle as he did so.

Haley’s breath was caught in her throat. Maybe he wouldn’t sign it…?

Then he did. Summoning a pen of his own, he scribbled his signature onto the dotted line.

 **”There.”** He said as he gave it back to her. **”Now you put a stamp or some sort of indication that this contract is now in effect.”**

Nodding, Haley thought of a moment for what to draw. She had no wax or stamp, so a drawing would have to do…

An image popped up into her head. Well, she might as well use it.

Doodling, Haley made the image of Hat Kid that was used after Hat Kid wrote her signature with Snatcher’s contracts. After all, what better use for it than on her own contract?

Together, the duo looked at the paper. It was now in effect.

Scooping the child up, Snatcher held her close as he moved away from the road.

 **”Leave.”** He said simply, with no emotion.

Nothing could hide the tears in Nessie’s eyes or Mike’s as they reluctantly drove away…

Snatcher tightened his hold on her. **”Come on, kiddo.”**

And Haley let him take her away.


	4. Chapter 4

He didn’t know what to think. She… let them go? It was _Vanessa_. The one _who killed him and the whole kingdom._ Did that not ring any bells to Hat Kid? At _all?_ Sure the looking human part was a surprise, but this place was weird.

It was _weird._ And it did something to the kiddo, he just knew it.

She kept on saying how this wasn’t him! That that wasn’t her! That same stuff that… Vanessa was saying.

Rage filled his dead heart. Snatcher was sure Vanessa was somehow behind it. Get Hat Kid to like her, become human, and then she would do the same thing to him! Him!

Snatcher would _never_ love Vanessa again.

But he signed a contract. A very clever contract that Hat Kid made. He was quite impressed with it. Especially considering the circumstances. Really, the kid could become a lawyer too if she wanted.

Rubbing his nonexistent chin, he idly wondered if he should give her his old law books as his fiery died down.

His purple spectral body twisted and turned in the air, moving closer to the sleeping form of the child.

His child.

His _daughter_.

She may not have known it at the time, but making that contract basically ensured that she was in his care. Snatcher was a father now.

Snatcher was _a father_ now.

Realization hit him as he slowly sunk down to the ground. His whole body shrunk and he paid no mind how his body reacted to look more… human.

No, his mind was on more pressing matters.

He didn’t know how to be a father, not really. Yes he had told Hat Kid he wanted to be one, to be _her’s_ , but saying and doing were two different things.

He could hurt her. Physically, emotionally, and she could hate him forever. He could be bad and she could punch, and scream, and cry, and would want to run away.

~~She could go back to her birth parents, and they could be so much better than he could ever dream to be. She could die under his care and leave to go to the world after this one.~~

He would have to find the proper things a growing girl would need. He needed a-a-a proper _house_ with a proper bedroom, a proper kitchen, a proper bathroom, and all the proper rooms a house needs.

But he was just a college student. How would he be able to accomplish this?

Luke ran his hand through his hair. Oh this was hard. This was really hard. Yes his job was meant to help pay off his schooling, but what about Haley? He would have to pay for her own schooling, and any medical bills should she get sick.

Maybe he should ask Mike for help? They’ve only known each other for so long, but Mike became something like a brother to Luke. He could help him and the three of them could go out to fun places! Like-like a family! Mike could be the Uncle! Their first stop could be that amusement both Haley _and_ Mike was eyeing.

A small smile appeared on his face. Standing up, he walked over to his, and man was he going to love saying it a whole lot, daughter. She was sound asleep, but a frown quickly grabbed a hold of Luke.

It looked like she was having a nightmare. Her face was scrunched up, her body curled into a ball. It nearly broke his heart to see her like that. Quietly padding closer, Luke gently laid a hand on her head.

Ever so slowly did he let his thumb rub circles on her temple. Not long after he began to comb his fingers through her hair. He was nearly caught in some knots a few times yet managed to evade them before any could even think of pulling from Haley’s head and tearing out.

It took a bit, but Haley’s breathing began to even out. Her face smoothed until she looked every bit peaceful she should’ve been. A smile soon reappeared on Luke’s face at the sight.

So peaceful. So wonderful. She was _his_ daughter now.

In that sweet moment, Luke wanted to plant a kiss on her forehead. But he did not. Yes they were father and daughter now, but it was too new for them. Was Haley ready for familial affection yet?

Was he?

Reluctantly, Luke took his hand away. He turned to leave her alone when he realized something.

This was not his apartment.

Where… was he?

Rubbing his head he faintly thought that something like this happened before… and Haley was crying? Why?

Searching the room, he saw a piece of paper illuminated by moonlight on top of a dresser… complete with a broken mirror.

Curious, Luke crept close to the paper to see… a contract?

Looking it over he saw that it was in Haley’s handwriting, albeit shaky… and its contents did not bode well to Luke.

A flash of gold made his head zip up, to see what that gold was.

And he saw Snatcher? No it was The Prince. But he looked like Snatcher? Wait no.

It… looked like him… but like a Snatcher costume… one where Snatcher was imitating The Prince… and yet the clothes looked like something he would wear. The hoodie and the T-shirt were plain that was for sure.

But something was… _off_ about it… the way it would move with him… the way the gaping mouth clacked shut. It was… it was almost as if… it was _him._

But that was impossible!

It was impossible… impossible… impossible for what? His hand went to his head and his many mirrored doubles did the same. Their clothes shifting, morphing as they did so.

How was that possible? Was that the impossible? Impossible… impossible… for his clothes to shift?

Of course his clothes could shift! If Snatcher could make himself look like Hat Kid then he sure could shift his clothes any time he wanted to!

Taking his hand away from his head, the ghost turned his head this way and that, taking a good long look at his reflection. Well, it was certainly unexpected, but not impossible. He didn’t remember the last time he accidentally shifted to his human form.

At least the stupid crown was gone.

Taking another glance at Hat Kid’s contract, he silently huffed.

Sure he wouldn’t hurt Vanessa and her newest lackey, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t send other people to them. After all, the abandoned cabin, house, whatever, in the woods was comprised. He’d have to find a new place to keep his kiddo safe from that witch.

Maybe with some magic, and a few souls to fuel him, Snatcher could make such a place.

As a temporary base of operations of course. He still had to find a way back to his forest.

 _Their_ forest.

Hat Kid lived with him now.

His signature wide, fanged, smile split on his face. Oh, when Hat Kid got back to normal, she would _love_ staying in the forest. After all the brat, and he said this lovingly of course, saw it as her playground the moment she dropped down from her spaceship.

But maybe first he should stop looking like his old self.

**Author's Note:**

> So! For some clarification this is an au based off of the “what if Luke died” in the puppet au! Here, Luke has possessed the Snatcher puppet, but as you can see, the longer he has spent in the puppet the more he becomes the actual Snatcher. The puppet is no longer a puppet, and his memories/mind have been warped to think he IS Snatcher. And due to this he thinks Haley is Hat Kid, and they’ve somehow gotten to a place far away from Subcon, and is trying to get the two of them ‘back home.’
> 
> There are moments of clarity, of course, and Haley tries her best to take advantage of these and get the two of them back to the theater. And this? This was another failed attempt.
> 
> But seriously, check out Fedoraspooky’s Puppet au if you haven’t! Check out their blog here! https://fedoraspooky.tumblr.com/


End file.
